With a vast range of different photographic safaris in Africa to choose from, how do you find the best one for you? Here are some tips based on more than 20 years of visiting the continent to photograph its wildlife:

Get beyond the brochure. Ask your operator or photographic host for detailed information about the trip before you make your decision to travel with them and ask to see previous trip reports from the places you want to go.

Is the trip planned for the best time of year to see the things you hope to photograph?  Many African safaris take place in the dry season, when animals congregate at water in larger numbers, temperatures are generally cooler, and the light is at its best. But for very keen birders a green season safari may offer a greater range of bird species and might prove cheaper. The weather and light will be less predictable, wildlife activity at drinking points minimal and temperatures can be suffocating at those times. The message is – think carefully about what interests you and what sort of conditions you will enjoy. 

Check out the credentials of your photographic guide/leader. Lots of people put themselves forward as photo tour leaders with very little experience on the ground. Check the website of potential photographer guides: are their images significantly better than your own?  Is their style one you like? Can they teach you stuff you don’t already know, or inspire you to try new creative approaches? Bear in mind an African safari isn’t the same as other wildlife trips: a pro photographer with lots of experience leading trips around the world might not bring as much to the table as a pro wildlife photographer with specialist knowledge of Africa.

Generally most photographic safaris are about putting you in the right place at the right time and helping and advising how to get the best images in situ.  Your photographer leader should help with any problems, offer tips and guidance as you go, and should be happy to review your images if you want them to. Bear in mind that on safari there’s generally not the time to set up formal classrooms to teach you all the basics of photography or Lightroom.  If you want lots of formal workshop-style instruction, look for the safaris that explicitly offer this as most don’t. The point here is to be sure you know what you want, and what you will get before booking.

Check the recommendations from customers who’ve already travelled with the photo outfit you’re considering, before signing on the dotted line. Listen especially to people who have been on a few safaris – first timers are invariably blown away by Africa and may be  less critical. If possible, have a look at some of the images they captured – they should give you an idea of their level of expectation and the quality and range of sightings and access to subjects they had.

How well versed is your photo guide/tour leader in the place you’re proposing to visit with them on safari? They may be an experienced pro shooter, and even an African expert, but if they’ve never been to the place you’re travelling with them before (and are maybe simply paying for their own trip by taking a group of guests there) you need to satisfy yourself they’ll have sufficient knowledge on the ground to maximise your experience and photography. Anticipation is key to good wildlife photos, and a guide with plenty of relevant local experience of animal behaviour will help you exploit brief opportunities that you’d otherwise miss.

How quickly does your tour leader or operator respond to your ‘phone calls or emails? Efficient and helpful customer service can be a helpful indicator of how much you matter to them.

Will you be spending the bulk of your trip actually photographing? Some safaris involve quite a bit of travel from one location to another, which could mean days where you won’t be photographing at all. Check this out before signing up. A trip with fewer locations may be more productive than a whistle-stop tour of too many places.

Make sure you’ll always be out photographing when the light is at its most magical. This means being out in the bush, or at your photographic destination, well before sunrise and, again later in the day, until well after sunset. 

Modern cameras perform well in very low light conditions, which is also when many animals are at their most active, so you may also want to consider a trip that allows some time photographing after dark.

Try to ensure your accommodation is as close as possible to your photographic destination and subjects. You don’t want to be wasting precious time and light travelling to and from reserves.

Your tour leader is important, but equally so are the local guides/ trackers/drivers on the ground.  It goes without saying they should have in-depth knowledge of the destination and its wildlife. But will they also understand your photographic requirements and how best to position you for subjects and the best light (including backlighting etc)?  This can be crucial to getting the pictures you’re hoping for from that trip of a lifetime.

Will your photo leader/host be with you all the time when you’re photographing, to help advise and interpret the developing situation in the wild, so you get the best shots and support possible from every opportunity you have? Some hosts have been known to leave their guests with a local guide, while going off to do their own thing.

One of the most important considerations is whether you’ll have enough space to operate. Find out how many other photographers will be sharing with you in game viewing vehicles. Ideally you need a row of seats to yourself so you can photograph from both sides and have plenty of space for your kit.

Group size is important. It may cost more but small group trips with a good guest-to-guide ratio mean you’ll have more input from your photo leader should you need/want it, more space to work, and fewer occasions where you’ll be competing for the best shooting position.

Check whether you will have a photographer guide with you on each activity.  If you’ve only one guide, and six guests split between two vehicles, for example, you’re only going to have the guide with you on half your drives.  Having more than one photographer guide with your group means you should get more personal attention, guidance, and more varied ideas.

Will you have any special access to your subjects that will help you get better and more dynamic  images, for example, driving off-road when tracking subjects and the opportunity for intimate low-level framing whether from hides, boats, game vehicles or even on foot where it’s permitted?

Check out any ‘hidden’ extra costs.  Does the safari cost include all meals, game reserve entry permits, laundry? Are drinks included, if not are they expensive? Will you need visas? Gratuities for guides, drivers and staff can add up to a considerable sum – check with the organiser how much you need to budget for. Safaris are expensive to start with, you don’t want any unpleasant surprises to add to the cost.

If you’re elderly or have significant medical conditions, consider whether you’ll have access to appropriate medical facilities if you become ill.  Safaris in themselves are not significantly more dangerous than other holidays (though long days and high temperatures can sap your stamina).  But many safari locations are hours from a good hospital.  Make sure you have adequate health insurance in the event that you need emergency air evacuation.

If your mobility is limited, check what sort of vehicles will be used, and how easily you will be able to board or alight from them – game viewers are typically high vehicles. Also check if there is any significant walking involved, for example getting to hides.

Keep in mind that a specialist photographic safari is a different animal to a conventional safari. If you’re looking mainly for a generalist safari where you can simply record the different species you see then a specialist photo tour may not be the best option for you. On the other hand, being stuck on a vehicle with non-photographers who simply want to tick off as many species as possible on a drive is a sure recipe for frustration if you’re at all serious about your photography.

Last, but not least, will you like your photo leader/tour host? Getting great pictures is not simply about the situation you’re in. You’ll get better images if you’re relaxed and enjoying the whole experience. Chat to the leader before you go to see if they’re the sort of person you’ll get on with – after all the trip is also a holiday.